Whenever I run across pumpkin pancakes on a food blog or recipe website, I literally stop in my tracks. Pumpkin is obviously the "it" food of fall, and I love the idea of using the puree in place of fat (oil or butter) in baked goods. Plus, pumpkin pancakes can come in so many variations: Have you ever mixed in dried cranberries? It's delicious. You can also serve them with cinnamon butter, apple compote, or even maple whipped cream. And, plain is pretty perfect, too.

This recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes is one of the simplest -- although, you would never know it from how excited people get when you tell them it's what you made for breakfast. They'll think you slaved in the kitchen all morning, but really it's just a matter of mixing the classic pancake ingredients with some seasonal items. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter, then sprinkle a few on top to serve.